Be Honest
by CarVie16
Summary: Carvie Christmas fic. Mal wants to bring Carlos and Evie closer together, but there are two problems. Carlos is too scared to tell Evie the truth, while Evie is oblivious to her true feelings for Carlos. Can Mal find a way to get them to be honest with each other by the time Christmas comes? EviexCarlos (Takes place in between the first two Descendants movies)
1. Lies & Denial

**Christmas is near, so I thought I'd write a little Christmas-themed love story. As fun as I've had writing my "Forever Wicked" series, I miss writing Carvie stories. Why I love this ship so much, I don't know myself. The cause is the first book ("Isle of the Lost"), but the reason behind the cause is a mystery even to me.**

 **Anyways, enjoy.**

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE #1: Did the first Descendants movie take place around the start of the school year? If that's the case, then Descendants 2, which takes place 6 months after the first movie, takes place after Christmas. I don't know for sure, but let's just pretend this is the case. It's my intention for this story to take place in between the first two movies. Plus, Christmas is coming, so...**

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE #2: _Italics_ mean narration by Mal.**

 **Leave a review after reading, if you like. Feedback is always appreciated.**

The sky was raining tiny frozen droplets and covering the lands in a thick layer of a soft white substance. Every home, building, and castle all over the kingdom is covered in colorful lights and plant-like decorations. Trees decorated with lights, tinsels, and ornaments can be found in the heart of a city or inside a house. Everyone was wearing sweaters, parkas, gloves, scarves, and toques as protection from the cold temperature. What could all this mean? What possible phenomenon could there be that would warrant such colorful beautification of Auradon (as if it wasn't colorful enough already)?

Christmas.

 _Yeah, Christmas_ , Mal thought. _A holiday that celebrates snow, pretty lights, gingerbread cookies, and some fat guy with a giant beard who is said to live in the North Pole. Sounds like a sap-fest, right? Well, that's what I thought once. We never celebrated Christmas on the Isle of the Lost. I mean, why would we? Our parents say that Christmas is just a holiday all about peace, love, and snowball fights. But I'm not on the Isle of the Lost anymore. I'm here, in Auradon. And all my AK friends want to make sure me and my fellow VKs have a wonderful first Christmas. I can't say I'm optimistic since I'm still adjusting to Auradon's ways, but it's best to mingle and see what happens. Who knows? Maybe I'll actually like Christmas._

Well, to be specific, it's only two days before Christmas. The recently crowned King Ben is hosting a Christmas party at Beast Castle on Christmas Eve. All the students of Auradon Prep are invited and their parents are welcomed as well. The party is said to last until midnight, as in Christmas Day. Any excuse to stay up all night is an immediate plus for Mal, but she knows it's important to understand the positive nature of the holiday.

In case one would be wondering where Mal is at the moment, she is sitting on the top of a tower at Beast Castle, watching the snow fall from above. She's not even wearing any winter clothing. She's wearing her favorite purple leather jacket. It's one of the things from the Isle of the Lost she prefers to hold close. After all, it makes her, well, Mal.

 _Unfortunately, the story you're reading is not about Christmas,_ she said to the listeners/readers of the story. _Rather,_ _it's a story about how this particular holiday helps bring two people closer together... in a way. Who am I talking about, you ask? Well, that's the problem. When someone so obvious can only be seen by someone like me, then there's something very wrong._

Mal sees a peculiar-looking snowflake heading her way. The snowflake was strangely shaped like a heart. _What a coincidence_ , she thought. What the heart represents happens to be connected to the story she was wanted to tell. She holds out her hand and the snowflake lands on her palm. She smiled as she stared at the snowflake. Maybe the arrival of this tiny icy creation is the green light for her to start writing the important parts of the story. In her attempt to blow the snowflake off her hand, her blowing caused it to break apart into teeny tiny ice drops just following the wind.

 _Who am I talking about, you ask again?_ She repeated. _Well, you are very familiar with these specific two and I'm pretty sure a lot of you see their relationship being similar to that of siblings. Boy, are you all in for quite a reveal._

Mal jumps off the tower and magically floats down to the snowy ground, preparing to write the story.

* * *

Mal entered the castle through the front door and walked to the ballroom, where Ben's Christmas party was taking place. Evie, Jay, Carlos, Audrey, Chad, Lonnie, Jane, Doug, Jordan, and Ally were all there to help Ben with the ballroom decorations. The castle staff would've taken care of this, but Lonnie is the one who insisted that Ben's closest friends would be the ones to help him. Jay, Chad, and Jordan were reluctant, but Lonnie is just too kind and too sweet to say no to.

"Hey, Mal," Ben greeted. "I've been looking for you all morning. You wouldn't answer my calls."

"I left my phone in my dorm," Mal explained. "Didn't want anyone ruining my morning on the roof."

"How you can be so casual about that, I'll never know," Ben commented.

"I jumped off the tower, just so you know," Mal added.

"Considering you have magic, I now wonder why I worry at all," Ben replied.

Mal pinches Ben's cheek and says, "You're so cute when worry."

"Really?" Ben asked.

"Seriously, though, I defeated my mom, remember? It can't get any worse than that," said Mal.

"I guess I got nothing to worry about," said Ben.

"Atta beast," Mal teased.

Ben blushed and chuckled. She's got one unique sense of humor, he thought.

"So, what can I help with?" Mal asked.

"Anything," Ben answered. "All tasks are being ticked off the box. Evie, Jay, and Carlos are on tree duty. Audrey, Chad, Jane, and Ally are handling decorations. Lonnie and Jordan are setting up the equipment. The best you can do is choose whichever one you want to assist with."

"What about you?" asked Mal.

"I got papers to sign," said Ben. "I know, it's Christmas and yet I still have a mountain of paperwork to take care of."

"It sucks," said Mal.

"I know," Ben agreed. "Well, I'll see you after lunch, if not _at_ lunch."

Ben kisses Mal on the cheek before leaving the ballroom. Mal waited until he was gone to wipe her cheek.

 _Hey, I'm new to this whole romance thing,_ she explained. _I was lucky to get used to the whole holding hands thing. In case you forgot, Ben and I haven't even kissed yet. Well, there's cheek kissing, but every single one is from him, not me. Okay, enough about me. Let's get back to the real story._

Mal approaches her three best friends - Evie, Jay, and Carlos. Why the three of them volunteered to fix up a 25-foot Christmas tree, well, just ask them. Evie was on top of a ladder attaching the ornaments to the tree. Carlos and Jay were passing said ornaments to her.

"That is one tall tree," Mal commented.

"You should see the one in the middle of Auradon City. It's enormous," said Carlos.

"Doesn't all this feel very surreal to you guys?" asked Mal.

"It definitely is, Mal," Evie agreed. "Our first Christmas together. If only our parents understood the beauty of it."

"Well, until then, _if_ it ever happens," Jay said doubtfully. "We'll have to make do with each other and our Auradon friends."

"One step a time then, huh? Works for me," said Evie.

Mal was about to help with the tree when she thought of something. Something fun (for her, at least). Carlos was standing right below Evie. If Evie were to, let's say, fall off the ladder...

 _Hey, if you want more details on this story, it's gonna happen_ , she said. _Worst case scenario, they both end up in the hospital with minor injuries._

Mal walks towards a box of ornaments near the ladder. After making sure no one is looking, she "accidentally" bumps into the ladder. Evie starts to lose balance. She loses her footing and falls off the ladder. Carlos looks up just in time to catch her in his arms. Evie's split second frightened scream may have caught the attention of everyone in the ballroom, which means everyone saw what just happened.

The room was silent as Evie remained being carried by Carlos. The two just stared at each other in a very awkward manner. The kind of awkward manner that made Mal smirk. If Carlos didn't have those freckles on his face, the blush under his cheeks would be clearer.

"Nice catch," Evie smiled.

"Uh, y-you're-you're welcome," Carlos stuttered nervously.

"Have you been working out?" Evie asked. "You're holding me up for an awfully long time without any problem."

"Um, well, being a member of the Tourney team means I _have_ to work out so... yeah, I've been working out," Carlos replied, if awkwardly.

Evie giggled for some reason. Maybe it was something in Carlos' voice, she didn't know. She just giggled. And now Carlos giggled without even knowing why. Mal had to cover her mouth to hide her own giggle. _This is too precious_ , she thought.

"Uh, dude," Jay called. "Everyone's watching."

Evie and Carlos look at everyone to see the looks on their faces. Their facial expressions scream "awkward."

Carlos quickly lets go of Evie. He puts his hands behind his back and avoids eye contact to avoid the awkwardness. Evie adjusts her hair and fake-coughs in an attempt to do the same.

"So, uh, thanks," said Evie. "You saved me from spending Christmas in traction."

"Y-Y-You're welcome," Carlos said nervously.

After petting Carlos like a dog, Evie proceeds with decorating the Christmas tree. Carlos just stood there looking like a tomato. Tomato, as in his face is so red, it's a wonder no one has noticed... except for Mal.

 _You see the way he looks at her? The way he smiles when he looks at her? How he's so embarrassed after an awkward moment with her?_ Mal asked. _C'mon, it's so obvious. Our boy Carlos in I-N-L-O-V-E with our girl Evie. And here's the best part. He's felt that way about her since the first time they met. Or was it the second time they met? I just remembered they met once at Evie's 6th birthday party. If Carlos suffered from puppy love at the age of 4, then I'm sticking with my previous statement of him being in love with her from Day 1. Point is, this is the story I wanted to tell. About a boy and a girl. Now, I know what you might be thinking: But, Mal, Evie already has a boyfriend and it's Doug._

"Are you okay, Evie?" Doug asked, extremely concerned. "No broken bones? No fractures? No head trauma?"

"Doug, I'm okay, really," Evie assured him. "Carlos prevented all of that stuff from happening."

"How about I take your place in the tree-decorating task?" Doug offered, for his girlfriend's sake.

"Doug, seriously, I'm okay," Evie repeated. "I appreciate you being a concerned boyfriend, but, really, I'm fine."

"Okay, people. Let's get back to work," said Lonnie. "Although, I may have to agree with Doug, Evie. Best to stay away from ladders."

"Then Doug can be on ladder duty. That way, he can make sure I don't fall," Evie suggested.

"I think someone's been eating way too many gingerbread cookies," Jay whispered to the dog lover.

"I can hear you, Jay," said Evie. "It's just the Christmas spirit, that's all. Can't let one little accident stop me from getting this tree done."

"How about we all help with the tree?" Jane suggested cautiously. "Just in case. We get that done, we can get everything else done faster."

Evie shakes her head, but she didn't say no.

"In that case, we're gonna need more ladders," said Chad. "I'll go get them."

"You just want an excuse to get out of this room, don't you?" Jay guessed.

Jay accompanies Chad out of the ballroom so they can get more ladders together, and for Jay to make sure Chad doesn't escape from decoration duty. Everyone else drops what their doing and helps out with the tree. Evie and Carlos, meanwhile, they're constantly stealing glances at one another. Carlos is still blushing while Evie tries and fails to stop feeling giggling every time she makes eye contact with him.

 _Look at those two. Seriously, look at those two. How can eye contact like that be considered platonic?_ Mal thought, mystified by everyone's obliviousness. _I know love is not some game I can toy with, but... there's a story to be written. Besides, I'm doing them a favor. Should they live the rest of their lives not knowing the truth about each other? Or are you gonna tell me they're better off not knowing it? Well, too bad. I'm me._

* * *

After an entire morning of decorating, everyone left for lunch. Evie, on the other hand, returned to her dorm to finish her own decorations. Mal was not particularly happy with the idea of decorating their dorm, but the holiday spirit has truly taken over Evie so there was no stopping her. Everything was already done except for the Christmas tree. Just as she was about to add the final ornament, someone knocked on the door.

"Come in. It's open," said Evie.

Coming in was Carlos De Vil. Evie was quick to smile upon his presence, because she's been waiting for him.

"Oh, good. You're finally here," she said happily.

Evie pulls on Carlos' arm and drags him towards the Christmas tree. He sits down on the floor while Evie grabs a couple of gift boxes. One is from Carlos to Evie and the other is from Evie to Carlos.

"But it's not even Christmas Day yet," said Carlos

"I know, but since we VKs are born to break the rules, I thought you and I can open our gifts early," Evie said excitedly. "No harm in that, right?"

"As long as it stays between us," said Carlos.

"Okay," Evie agreed. "Oh, me first."

Evie quickly opens her gift, eager to see what's inside. Inside was an old ring. Old, as in, locked-away-in-the-attic-for-years old. The apple-shaped jewel on it was cracked, looking like someone had taken a bite out of it. That "bitten" part appeared to have been glued back to where it was supposed to be.

Evie was stunned. Unresponsive.

"I know. It's horrible," Carlos said, embarrassed. "I was gonna use it for parts, but then I met you and I thought about giving it to you for your birthday. That's when I glued the broken piece back. Then we came here to Auradon and I decided to just throw it away 'cause I thought you'd want something nicer. But then Fairy God Mother gave us the whole seeing-treasure-in-the-junk lesson and it got me thinking... that ring represents what you've done for me. Before I met you, I was, like the ring before, not whole. There was piece of my heart ripped out by my mother. She never loved me. Then I met you and you repaired me that part of me."

Evie's eyes move away from the ring and towards Carlos as he spoke. The blank expression on her face makes it hard to tell what she's feeling.

"I know this sounds cheesy and pathetic," Carlos said awkwardly. "But I wanted you to know..."

Evie cuts him off by embracing him. Carlos blushes again as he slowly hugs her back. You don't get a lot of hugs on the Isle, you know. Or any at all, in fact.

"I love it," Evie said with full sincerity.

"You... you do?" Carlos asked, surprised.

"No reason to lie to you," said Evie. "Care to do the honors?"

"O-O-Of-Of course," Carlos stuttered.

Evie gives Carlos the ring as he takes her hand. He slips the ring on her finger. The two smile at each other afterwards. Carlos was just so surprised that Evie, of all people, could accept an ugly ring as a Christmas gift. Evie was so touched that he would choose a gift that symbolizes their friendship. Then the smiling and staring stopped when Carlos realized he was still holding her hand.

Carlos pulls his hand back and uses that same hand to scratch his head in embarrassment. Evie had no reaction other than a simple smile, which she dropped almost immediately.

"I just wish I could give you a gift just as good as yours," Evie said sadly.

"Well, let me see," said Carlos.

Carlos opens his gift. Inside the box is a new laptop.

"I know, it sucks," Evie said, assuming that is what he is thinking.

"Are you kidding? I've been thinking about getting a new one for weeks," said Carlos.

"All I did was give you something brand new. You gave me something that's actually meaningful," said Evie.

"No, I'm serious. I love it," Carlos assured her. "You just saved me a lot of trouble and money."

"Well, the fashion business is extremely lucrative," said Evie. "You sure you like it?"

"I would never lie to you," said Carlos.

"Never?"

Evie and Carlos turned their heads to the door to see Mal. She had that smile on her face as if she was suspicious about something.

"The door was open so I thought I'd let myself in," said Mal. "Am I _interrupting_ something?"

"No, we were just... opening our gifts," said Carlos.

"You can open yours if you want, since you've pretty much busted us," said Evie.

"No, I can wait a couple more days," said Mal.

"I'll, uh, show myself out," said Carlos. "Thanks for the gift again, Evie."

Carlos takes his new laptop and leaves. He looked oddly flustered, and so was Evie. Mal tried not to look suspicious herself as she made sure to remember this moment.

 _In case you're wondering, yeah, I was listening in the whole time. And thanks to the open door, I was also watching the whole time_ , Mal said. _Now, you might be asking, does Evie feel the same way? Well, while I might know the answer, I'd rather if you just sit back and read the next part to find out._

* * *

Mal and Evie return to the castle to finish the decorations in the ballroom. Along the way, Mal notices Evie checking out the ring on her finger. The ring that Carlos just gave to her. She's been staring at it the whole way from Auradon Prep to the castle. Either this is the best gift she's ever received in her life or she was really just checking her nails. Nah! It's obviously the former.

"Are you sure you want to be wearing that ring in public, E?" Mal asked. "I mean, I don't care, but won't you?"

"The ring may be hideous and I may get a lot of negative comments on my InstaRoyal account if I post a picture of this, but the meaning behind it is more precious than any piece of jewelry," said Evie.

"Sounds like you and Carlos are way closer than I thought," said Mal. "To think, you two only became friends a day before the four of us become a team. That one day must have been something."

"Well, in our defense, it was the first time we both spoke to someone who understands us," said Evie.

"And the pillow?" Mal questioned, remembering when Evie gave Carlos a new pillow back on the Isle.

"I told him it wasn't because I cared about him, but I know now that was a lie," said Evie. "I just never told him yet, but I'm in no rush."

"The way he is around you, it's quite... weird... don't you think?" Mal asked slyly.

"What do you mean?" Evie replied, confused.

Mal turns away and rolls her eyes at the blue-haired narcissist's obliviousness. _Hilarious but annoying_ , she thought.

"Well, he appears hypnotized every time he looks at you. He can barely speak properly talking to you. Not to mention the way he holds your hand," Mal said, letting Evie know she was watching and not just listening.

Evie smiled and blushed uncontrollably.

"Do you ever think that there's a possibility that he might, ooh, I don't know, maybe have a crush on you?" Mal wondered slyly.

"W-Wh-What? Tha-That's-That's ridiculous," said Evie. "He and I are like brother and sister."

"A brother who gifted her sister a ring and slipped it on her finger in a very non-platonic way," Mal teased.

"He wasn't proposing, M. It's just a little joke," Evie said, flustered to the max.

"If you say so, Princess De Vil," Mal joked.

"Stop it," Evie begged, bumping her friend's shoulder.

 _That flustered tone. The blush under her cheeks. Oh, yeah. There's your confirmation,_ Mal said. _I wonder just how she herself is so oblivious to her own feelings. She keeps using that brother-and-sister excuse that is obviously an excuse only to me. She may treat Carlos like a brother, but behind all the touching and the sibs-talk and that innocent look on her face lies a wonderful truth that may just horrify or delight her if she ever found out. But it's not for me to tell. Just another one of those for-me-to-know-for-you-to-find-out kind of things._

* * *

Carlos returns to his dorm to try out his new laptop. After adjusting the settings, he quickly transferred everything he had on his old laptop to the new one. Aftert that, he just did what he would always do on his free time. Surf the internet and create digital blueprints filled with ideas for new inventions. Being in Auradon has given him much more freedom and resources to do what he loves. His next idea involves an upgraded version of a 3D printer. All he needs

Knock-knock!

"Come in," Carlos said.

The door was not locked, so the knocker let herself in. It was Mal.

"Hey, Snowball," Mal greeted.

Carlos rolls his eyes. He's not a fan of that nickname. And considering it's Christmas, a holiday where it snows, it annoys him even more.

"You dropped this," Mal said, giving him back his phone.

"I don't remember dropping this," Carlos said, confused.

"Well, you're welcome," Mal said casually.

Mal turns around and smirks a mischievous smirk, all the while winking at herself via the nearest mirror. How else do you think Carlos dropped his phone?

"So, that was a lovely gift you gave to Evie," Mal mentioned.

"You didn't really have to eavesdrop," Carlos said as he blushed.

"Uh, the door was open, I was already on my way, and you two just happen to be exchanging gifts by the time I got there. Why wouldn't I eavesdrop?" Mal replied. "You've been acting weird all day, Carlos. I can see it. And I can tell it's because of Evie."

"I-I-I'm n-not acting w-weird," Carlos stuttered embarrassingly.

Mal raised an eyebrow at him, as he basically confirmed that he's been acting weird.

"Even if I am, what's it got to do with Evie?" Carlos asked, avoiding eye contact.

"Well, let's see," Mal started. "You two became fast friends on her first day back to school. Ever since, she gets awfully touchy with you from time to time. You can't seem to keep your cool whenever you two are near each other..."

"Okay, so I'm still adjusting to the idea of friendship," Carlos interrupted. "What are you getting at?"

"There's something about your conversation with her that got me. You told her, you'd never lie to her," said Mal.

"And I would never," said Carlos.

"So, you would tell her pretty much anything and everything?" Mal asked suspiciously.

"I would," said Carlos.

"Even how you feel about her?" Mal teased.

"Of course," Carlos replied.

"I mean, how you really _really_ feel about her?" Mal asked, continuously trying to push him.

Catching on what Mal was insinuating, Carlos shuts down his laptop and buries his face in his hands. He felt like he was busted and the feeling is overwhelming considering the type of secret that Mal seemed to have figured out.

"Is it that obvious?" Carlos asked, voice cracking.

Mal grins as she tries to hold back her laughter. She sits down next to Carlos as she tries so hard _not_ to laugh or chuckle or even giggle.

"I've watched you fall in love with Evie even before any of us even understood what the word _love_ meant," said Mal. "To be honest, even back on the Isle, I've been waiting for you to tell her the truth. Deep down, I wanted the best for you, and Evie is the best because she brings out the best in you. But you did nothing. You didn't tell her. You didn't make a move. You didn't do nothing. Kinda disappointed."

"I never even wanted to feel like this," Carlos said sadly.

"And I never wanted to fall in love with Ben, but I did," said Mal. "We can't control what our heart wants. We just listen to our hearts, just like Belle told Ben."

"And my heart tells me to just leave her be, to let her be happy with Doug, even at my expense," said Carlos.

"But do you ever wish you could tell her?" asked Mal.

Carlos turns away and looks down in sadness. It hurt Mal to see him so down and depressed. She already knew how deep his feelings for her were, but maybe she didn't know how deep it is until she saw that look on his face.

"Thanks for giving me back my phone," Carlos said casually.

Carlos opens his laptop and returns to his work. Knowing he would rather avoid any conversation involving his feelings about Evie, Mal decides it's best to just get up and leave the dorm.

 _Poor boy,_ Mal thought sadly. _You know that one harsh lesson in life? You can never have everything you want. Well, Carlos can never have Evie's love no matter how much he wants it. Then again, he only has himself to blame. He had every opportunity to tell her and he didn't take it. Still, poor boy. I wouldn't have cared back then, but thanks to that whole Isle of the Doomed adventure and coming her to Auradon, I've learned to care. That's one reason why I'm writing this story for you. As folly as all this may be, I'm doing it for him... and her._

* * *

Later that day, Carlos was in the Chemistry Lab cooking up something for the Christmas party tomorrow. He thought he'd show everyone that science can be like magic by mixing some chemicals for a grand presentation. He had to wear gloves and protection goggles for the sake of safety. Despite following his own instructions to the tee, he made a little mishap that caused a mini-explosion. His goggles and shirt are now covered in soot and there's a cloud of red smoke coming from the beaker he was using. Just in time for a certain blue-haired VK to come into the lab.

"Hey, Carlos," Evie greeted.

"Hey, Evie," Carlos greeted.

"Um, how's the preparations for your little chem-show?" Evie teased, laughing in between words.

"Very funny," Carlos replied sarcastically. "I just need to start over."

"I can lend a hand if you want," Evie offered.

"Thanks, but I can handle it," said Carlos.

"Do you not want me to stay here with you?" asked Evie.

"Of course I do, but..." Carlos paused. "This was my idea. I know Chemistry is your expertise, but I'm more at your level than you think."

Evie tried to smile, but that smile dropped instantly. Carlos takes off his goggles upon noticing.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Carlos asked.

"Carlos, how exactly do you feel about me dating Doug?" Evie asked.

"Uh, why do you ask?" Carlos replied nervously.

Evie bites her lower lip and closes her eyes very tight as she tries to muster the courage to tell him the reason behind the question. It wasn't easy because the topic is very sensitive.

"Mal thinks you like me," Evie confessed. "As in _like-like_ me. As in the romantic kind of like."

Evie starts laughing because she feels so embarrassed bringing this up to him. Carlos feels like he has a fever, because his face is red hot from what he just heard. Bad enough that Mal found out how he truly feels about Evie but Mal telling Evie about his feelings is much worse.

"I know, it's ridiculous," Evie said, still embarrassed. "Now I feel silly bringing it up. I know it sounds weird and absurd. I mean..." She cut herself off with her embarrassed laughter.

"Well, she's wrong," Carlos lied. "I know I can be super awkward around girls, you included, but that doesn't mean I feel anything like _that_ about you. Like you said, i-it-it's ridiculous."

"Yeah, it is," Evie agreed. "But seriously, how do you feel about me and Doug? And please don't lie. You said you'd never do that to me."

"Yeah," Carlos remembered. "I just want you to be happy, Evie. Doug seems like a really nice guy, and if he makes you happy then I should be happy too. You don't have to worry about how I feel... unless he hurts your feelings, that is."

"Well, I can guarantee you he will never do that," said Evie. "Sure, he's goofy and a bit too bold for his own good, but I wouldn't be dating him if I didn't see something in him."

Carlos just nodded and smiled, even if he felt differently on the inside.

"What about you?" asked Evie. "Are you ever thinking about finding yourself a girlfriend?"

"I don't know," Carlos replied. "I mean, I'm still getting used to my new life here in Auradon. I mean, it's nice that you and Mal both found someone special, but I just don't think I'm ready."

"I understand," said Evie. "But if you ever need advice, you can come to me."

"Thanks," said Carlos.

"So, if you don't need my help, then I should just go and find Doug," said Evie. "See ya."

"See ya," Carlos said.

Carlos kept on smiling until Evie was out of sight. His smile dropped. Lying right to her face, it hurt so much. Watching her be with someone else hurts him enough but to be unable to be honest with her about his true feelings with her only hurts a million times more. He should be blaming Mal. Instead, he blames himself. All this could have been avoided if he had just been honest with Evie from the start. Maybe then Mal wouldn't have tried to do it for him.

Speaking of Mal, she's been watching the whole time. Standing in the corner, hidden from the naked eye with an invisibility spell. Neither Evie nor Carlos knew that she saw them and heard every word.

 _Again. Poor boy,_ Mal thought sadly. _I hate to have to put him in this position, but if he truly wanted to have a love life, he could at least learn how to be strong and open up. I should be feeling disappointed. Instead, I pity him. Evie is the perfect girl and the one guy who truly loves her can't so much as give her a hint on how he really feels. I guess love is a lot more complicated than I thought._

 **And so that ends the first chapter. Just in case you might ask, it's gonna be a short story, which means it'll only have a few chapters. Plus, I want this to be done before/at Christmas.**

 **HAPPY HOLIDAYS!**


	2. Confessions & Confusion

**Well, here's the second chapter of the story. It's shorter than the first one, but I still hope you enjoy it. The length doesn't matter as long as the content is wroth reading.**

 **Leave a review after reading, if you like. Feedback is always appreciated.**

 **I'd like to thank the following users for reviewing the previous chapter: Boris Yeltsin, DragonEmperor999, CarvieCamfia2**

 ** _To DragonEmperor999_: The puns just keep on coming. Don't mind me. Keep it up if you want.**

 ** _To Boris Yeltsin_: Don't I remember you from my old Evie/Carlos story, "A Kiss On The Cheek"? As for your question involving the first book, it was a conversation between Evie and Carlos about pillows (Evie wanted to give Carlos a pillow after seeing his poor sleeping accommodations) that got me thinking about this pairing. Considering that part included a sentence saying Evie would love to have a little brother like Carlos, I still have no idea why I like the idea of the two of them being a romantic pairing. Maybe it's because I just have a taste for exotic pairings... I don't know... it's been 3 years and I still ship Carvie.**

 _How unbelievably pathetic,_ Mal thought with disappointment. _I give Carlos a little push to be honest with Evie and he lies straight to her face. Now, you may be wondering why I am so hellbent on getting those two together. That's the thing. I'm not. Evie has a boyfriend and if she wants to stay with him for the rest of her life, that's fine with me. But I cannot just sit back and let Snowball and Princess Blueberry keep dancing around each others feelings 'til the end of time. Aside from how much it hurts Carlos, it's also just extremely painful to watch. It's like when you see a boy and a girl in a TV show with so much romantic tension, yet their potential for romance is never explored. Well, watching Evie and Carlos, just as painful, times a thousand. But it's only painful to me 'cause, as I mentioned before, I'm the only one who has her eyes wide open about this._

Mal decides to confront the white-haired tech prodigy, but she cannot let him know that she watched him lie to Evie. She decided to take this approach calmly until he confesses his lie. As for where Carlos is, Mal saw him return to his dorm, probably to continue working on his new laptop. The door was open, so she let herself in.

"Hey, Snowball," Mal greeted.

Actually, Carlos isn't working on his new laptop. In fact, he's not doing anything at all. He's just lying down on his bed while hugging the pillow that Evie gave to him back on the Isle.

"Does she know that you kept it?" asked Mal.

"No," Carlos said. "She never even asked."

"Feels like you two aren't as close as you once were," said Mal.

"That's what I've always been afraid of," Carlos said morosely. "But just because she doesn't remember the pillow, the new laptop just shows that she hasn't forgotten how much we meant to each other."

"Okay, why so glum?" Mal asked, pretending she doesn't know why. "We're friends now, Carlos. Actual, true friends. And I'm pretty sure one thing about being friends is that we share things with each other. When a friend is sad, you try to help said friend."

Carlos sits up, still holding the pillow close to him, and responds.

"Evie told me that you told her that I have feelings for her," Carlos started. "Why?"

"I never told her that specifically. I just gave her the idea that it's a possibility," said Mal.

"Are you trying to set us up?" Carlos accused.

"I'm not saying I am, but would that be such a bad thing?" Mal replied casually.

"She has a boyfriend, Mal," Carlos reminded her.

"Between you and me, Evie's too good for Doug," Mal commented.

"This isn't a joke, Mal," Carlos insisted as he stood up and looked at her with mild anger. "Is this all some game to you? Something you can manipulate for your own entertainment?"

"Hey, whoa, slow down, Snowball. What do you take me for? A villain?" Mal responded, hands up to emphasize her innocence.

Carlos plops down on his bed and says, "Sorry."

"Did you tell her the truth?" Mal asked.

"N-No," Carlos answered.

"But why not?" asked Mal. "And don't give me the whole she-has-a-boyfriend excuse. This goes way deeper than that, I'm sure of it."

"Mal, when I met Evie, I felt like a lovesick lover boy. When I got to know her better, my heart dominated my mind every time I'm with her," said Carlos. "But I was stranger to the term _love_ for obvious reasons. The Isle. My mom. You and how all the other VKs treated me."

"How many times do I have to apologize for that?" Mal interrupted.

"That's not the point," said Carlos. "Mal, I was too late not only because I was too shy or something but because I was too scared of what my true feelings would do to my friendship with Evie. It's all I have left between me and her. I lost my chance, but at least I can still be one of her best friends. What you're trying to force me to do, it'll ruin everything. What if she never looks at me the same way again? What if she doesn't want to be friends with me anymore?"

"Okay, this is getting too dark even for me," Mal interrupted again.

"And now you put this idea in her head, that I have romantic feelings for her," Carlos continued. "How can I look at her and speak to her the same way after what you just did?"

"Okay, so let's pretend for a minute that all this is just a game to me," said Mal. "Look at yourself, because that's all I've been doing since you, me, Evie, and Jay became friends. You've been in love with Evie since you first laid your eyes on her, probably since that infamous birthday party which the four of us swore never to tell anyone in Auradon about, and you've been holding it in for that long. You may think you're finally happy living here, Carlos, but the truth is, you're not. Are you happy with your life here? Definitely. But are you happy in general? No. Every time I see you look at Evie, whether it's her hanging out with Doug or after you two just had a small talk, I see a miserable little boy."

Carlos wanted to rage at her, but he couldn't. Why? Because what Mal says is true.

"What you feel about Evie, what you really feel about her, and to hide that truth inside you, it's more painful than anything I can imagine," Mal continued. "I don't know if you and Evie could ever be, but what I do know is that if you don't open up and be honest with her, you're gonna hurt yourself for the rest of your life. Sure, you're gonna graduate, go to college, probably get a job in computer science, but in the end, you'll never really feel at peace with yourself. Why? Because you won't tell Evie the one thing that will set you free. The truth."

Carlos would have laughed at the wordplay, but he was too caught up in the seriousness of this conversation.

"Confession time. I was watching the whole thing. You and Evie in the Chem Lab," Mal confessed. "And I saw the look on your face after you lied to her. You're hurt. Very hurt. In _here_." Mal gestured to the heart. "I know that telling her the truth would put a strain on your friendship with her, but it's for your own good. As selfish as it may be, you really just have to rip the band-aid off no matter and tell her, no matter how much it'll hurt. But one thing I can guarantee, it won't hurt as much as it does hiding this from Evie."

Carlos remained silent. Too many words to keep in mind. Too many truth bombs to recover from. He's no longer sad or angry. Just hurt and confused.

"Look, I'm sorry for trying to push you into this. I just thought that you would never ever tell her without anyone giving you at least a little bit of motivation... or manipulation," Mal said apologetically. "I'll just go. Again, I'm sorry."

Mal leaves the dorm with a guilty frown on her face.

 _Despite my best intentions, I knows that Carlos would feel sorta better to just keep his true feelings a secret and move on with his life_ , Mal knew. _But I know he can never do that unless he gets rid of that band-aid that has been causing his chest his itch for a long time. Well, if you consider four months a long time. Point is, either he lets himself suffer forever or just rip that band-aid off and scratch that itch so it can finally go away. Question is, when will he do it? Obviously, not before or at Christmas, as I intended. Maybe never. I guess it's time to stop writing this story, throw it in the garbage can, shut the lid, and throw the can into a furnace. Too much?_

* * *

As the clock ticks closer to midnight, to Christmas Eve, Evie spent the night in her dorm admiring the Christmas tree she set up all by herself since Mal refused to help brighten up their dorm for the holidays. She finally got to turn on the lights for the first time and the tree definitely lit up the room with that Christmas feeling. Simultaneously admiring the tree and doing stuff on her phone, Evie was definitely consumed by the spirit of Christmas tonight. Between the ballroom decorations for Ben's Christmas party and her own dorm's decorations, it's safe to say Evie is the most excited out of the four VKs in Auradon for this special holiday.

Just as he was about to play some Christmas music just so her dorm can truly scream Christmas, the door opened. Coming in was Carlos.

"Hey, Carlos," Evie greeted. "Look, I finally finished the tree. All by myself, if I have to mention. It definitely feels like Christmas in this room already. Don't you think?"

Carlos, however, looked liked he had just went through some sad experience. Not even the sight of a wonderful Christmas tree could make him smile.

"Hey, is something wrong?" Evie asked.

Instead of saying anything, Carlos approaches her and hugs her. Despite feeling confused by the sudden and unexpected sign of affection, Evie hugs him back in case he truly needed comfort.

"I love you, Evie," Carlos confessed.

"Aw, I love you, too," Evie replied.

Unfortunately for Carlos, Evie's words were purely platonic. She loves him in the way that a sister loves a brother. And it's because of that he stops hugging her, allowing Evie to see a hurt expression on his face. So much sadness. So much melancholy. She doesn't know why, but she thought she might've said something wrong.

Carlos sits down on Evie's bed as the sorrow on his face remained. Evie sits down next to him and holds his hand for comfort.

"When I first saw you, when we were little, I thought you were the prettiest girl I ever saw," said Carlos. "And then ten years later, I got to actually hang out and talk to the girl I've had a crush on. Still do."

This caused Evie to slowly pull her hand away from Carlos', shocked by what she was hearing from him. Carlos couldn't blame her and he just continued with his confession.

"On the day we met again, in my mom's closet and at my tree house lab, I felt a connection with you, a connection that I never felt with anyone," said Carlos. "When you told me that you were offering me a pillow not because you cared, I actually believe that. But deep down, I knew that you actually cared. No one's ever cared about me like you did. I don't know, I just... you made me happy in a way that I never thought possible. We could've been miserable for the rest of our lives on the Isle, but to have you in my life..."

As she listened, Evie was starting to feel a plethora of emotions building up inside her. Her heart might as well be going into overload from what she is feeling. One thing's for sure. Her eyes were watering, which means tears were bound to rain down her face. Why? Even she doesn't know.

"There were so many times I could've told you that I love you," Carlos continued. "After your first day at school. At the tree house. When you gave me that pillow. After the whole Isle of the Doomed stuff. Family Day. After Coronation. But I didn't. I chose to keep quiet because I was worried, afraid even, about what it would do to you and to us if I ever told you. I didn't want to ruin what we already have. Now, I know you and Doug are boyfriend and girlfriend now and I know that I have chosen the worst possible time to tell you, but... it hurts me too much to keep lying to you."

And then came down one tear. Evie didn't know what to do. She didn't know what to say or even know how she feels right now. That one tear that just streamed down from her eye to her cheek to her chin could mean just about anything. To hear Carlos confess that his feelings for her are romantic and that he has been feeling this way for a long time, it was overwhelming. This whole time, she had believed that her relationship with Carlos was that of a brother and sister who care about and love each other very much. But now, listening to him confess his love to her, she has no words to express how she feels because she doesn't know how to feel about this. Another tear comes down from the same eye the first tear came down from that just further emphasizes how uncertain and confused she feels right now.

He did it. He finally did it. Carlos finally confessed his love to Evie. He opened his mouth and spoke the entire truth about her feelings towards the blue-haired princess. As he stared at her confused face and gazed at the couple tears that ran down her face, he can only imagine how scared she must feel right now. Earlier today, he lied to her about having romantic interest in her. Mal suggested the idea to her, and Evie had to bring it up to him just to see if it was true. He told a convincing lie and made sure his face sold the lie. But now, telling her just how deep his feelings for her goes, telling her how much it hurt for him to hide this from her, it made him feel terribly afraid of what might be going on in her head right now. The confession may have taken off some weight in his heart, but that weight may just have been replaced by Evie's emotional silence.

"I'm sorry, Evie. I really am," Carlos apologized.

Deciding he's said enough and done enough emotional damage, Carlos leaves the dorm. Evie was tempted to reach out and pull him back to her, only to stop herself. It was all too much for her right now. This isn't just some embarrassing secret to laugh at upon revelation. It's a huge secret that may very well change their relationship for good. But how does it change, she wondered.

Unbeknownst to the blue-haired narcissist and white-haired tech prodigy, Mal has been listening the whole time. She had to use the invisibility spell again just to hide herself when Carlos left the dorm.

 _Before you ask, no, I didn't mean to eavesdrop this time_ , Mal said. _This time, I really did just walk into something that wasn't my business. I meant what I said about tossing my story into the furnace, but now... I'm actually proud. Proud of our precious little Snowball. He did it. Although, I can see that it didn't end up the way I pictured it. I know how Evie feels about him, but I don't know how she exactly feels about what just happened. She looks so... I don't know. Those tears can mean anything. Anger. Sadness. Confusion. What have I done to them?_

 **Does that confession scene look/sound like a scene from a certain TV show (if you spotted it, congratulations)? But this scene is what I've been wanting to write for a long time. Yup, a LONG time. I just needed to wait until Christmas, and boy was that a LONG wait.**

 **So, what do you think?**


	3. Honesty & Bitter Sweetness

**This the final chapter of the story. Sorry that it has to end now and so soon, but like I said, it wasn't meant to be long story. If it was longer, I would've started earlier this month, but here we are.**

 **Anyways, enjoy.**

 **Leave a review after reading, if you like. Feedback is always appreciated.**

 **I'd like to thank the following users for reviewing the previous chapter: Boris Yeltsin, DragonEmperor999, CarvieCamfia2, Guest**

 ** _To Boris Yeltsin_: Yeah, I've noticed that as well.**

The next morning, the four VKs - Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos - hang out in the girls' dorm, just chilling until Ben calls them for something regarding the Christmas party that is taking place tonight. Mal lies down on the wrong side of her bed listening to some music on her phone. Evie is checking herself on her Magic Mirror. Carlos is typing away on his new laptop. Jay is trying out this toy called a paddle ball. In fact, the sound of the paddle ball is why Mal is listening to music right now, so she doesn't have to hear Jay's annoying toy.

As Jay tried to set a new record for himself, he can't help but notice that Evie and Carlos are not feeling so jolly today.

"Uh, dude, you doin' okay?" Jay asked.

Dude barked.

"Oh, I didn't mean you-Dude. I meant Carlos-dude," Jay clarified.

"I don't wanna talk about it," said Carlos.

"Did Chad insult your or something?" asked Jay.

"No," Carlos answered.

"Did someone give you a lousy Christmas gift?" asked Jay.

"No," Carlos answered.

"Girl troubles?" Jay asked.

A pillow gets thrown at Jay's face. That was Mal. When Jay started talking, Mal removed the earpiece from her left ear just in case he said something Carlos didn't want to respond to. Well, Jay did say something like that and Mal had to do something.

"Trust me, Leather for Brains. You do not want to go down that road," Mal warned.

"Okay, but what about Evie? What's she so sad about?" Jay wondered. "It's Christmas Eve. I thought she'd be all smiles today."

"I'm just... too tired to smile right now. I didn't get enough sleep last night," said Evie.

"Well, that solves that," Jay said. He look at Carlos and asks, "C'mon, dude. Your turn."

"Since when do you talk about feelings, Jay?" Carlos asked, annoyed.

"Since it's Christmas and we have to be our best selves, as everyone told us," said Jay. "So, I thought I'd help with whatever you're dealing with."

"Don't make me throw a fireball at you," Mal threatened.

"Someone's cranky," Jay noticed.

And Jay gets another pillow to the face. Jay was about to say something, but as he opened his mouth, Mal quickly raised a finger in a "don't you dare" manner. Jay closed his mouth and kept it shut, for his own sake.

"So, you all excited for tonight?" Jay asked, changing the subject for his safety.

"Why wouldn't we be?" Evie replied, smiling a faint smile.

"What're you guys most excited about?" Jay asked.

"Let me guess. Yours is the food," Mal guessed.

"Well, that and the dancing," said Jay.

"Got a dance partner, Jay?" asked Evie.

"A few," Jay answered casually with a shrug.

"Oh, you are a bad boy, Jay," Mal replied, knowing exactly what Jay meant by _few_.

"Guilty as charged," Jay said proudly. "So, I guess that leaves Carlos here without a dance partner."

"I don't need one," Carlos said sadly. "I mean, I got you guys."

"Yeah, but when we're bored dancing with you, we'll be dancing with our partners," said Jay. "Who'll dance with you?"

Another pillow hits Jay in the face, courtesy of Mal.

"I think you should leave," Mal said.

"What is up with you?" Jay asked, wondering why Mal is being rotten.

"Just do what she says," Carlos said gloomily.

"It'd be better for you and for us," Evie added quietly.

"What is with everyone today?" Jay wondered, confused. "I thought Christmas was supposed to be happy times and all that."

"Well, maybe you still haven't learned what the holiday means," Evie said bitterly.

"Jay, I'm serious. Go," Mal demanded.

Jay raises his hands in defeat and leaves the dorm.

 _Finally,_ Mal thought with relief. _The last thing Evie and Carlos need right now is someone pestering them about Christmas. As of right now, neither of them are in the mood for the holidays. And that's mostly, if not entirely, my fault. Okay. Okay. Okay. It's entirely my fault. There, are you happy now? Well, Evie and Carlos are not. I have to do something, but I can't do it with both of them in the same room. Gotta get one of them to leave._

"Hey, E," Mal called. "Think you can go to the kitchen and fetch me some strawberries?"

"Who am I? The maid to the royal girlfriend?" Evie asked, still feeling bitter.

"Hey, you appointed yourself," said Mal. "And I just thought maybe you'd grab something for yourself. Comfort food."

"That's not exactly healthy," said Evie. "But I guess I could use a glass of water."

"Try making yourself a fruit shake. You'll feel better," said Mal.

"And you're suggesting a blueberry shake, huh?" Evie guessed.

"Just get out of here, Princess Blueberry," Mal laughed.

Evie gets up and leaves to fetch the future queen of Auradon her strawberries as if she was the future queen's personal servant. But like Mal said, she practically hired herself for that job. Now that Evie is no longer in the room, Mal can talk to Carlos about last night. She just had to approach it gently.

"You know that thing I said about friends being there for each other, especially when one of them is sad?" Mal reminded.

Carlos didn't want to talk, but Mal's fake pout persuaded him to.

"I told Evie how I felt about her," Carlos confessed.

"Oh," Mal said, pretending she didn't know. "And what'd she say?"

"Nothing," Carlos said as his voice cracked. "She said nothing."

"And you two haven't talked about it?" Mal asked.

"No," said Carlos. "I don't even know if she ever wants to talk to me anymore."

"I'm very sorry, Carlos," Mal apologized. "I should've gotten involved. I just..."

"You were trying to help me," Carlos interrupted. "And you did, in a way. I thought that by telling her, it would only add to my pain. Instead, it felt good for me to finally let it all out. It still hurts, but not as much as it did before."

"But now I ruined your life," Mal said with regret.

"You didn't," Carlos assured her.

"No, I did," Mal insisted. "Yes, you will have a bright future, but without Evie... I can't even imagine..."

"I know," said Carlos. "She means the world to me."

"I wish I can just cook up a time travel spell and make sure I never started this stupid game in the first place," Mal muttered.

"I'm almost tempted to let you do that, but... I think it's better if we just live with our mistakes," said Carlos.

"14 years old and growing up so fast," Mal smiled.

"I'm not angry at you, Mal," said Carlos. "Maybe a little, but... you had good intentions and I can't blame you for that."

"I just wish I can't blame myself," said Mal.

"I'll feel better eventually," Carlos said, trying to convince himself. "Just... thank you."

Mal decides to give Carlos a hug. He needed it and so did she.

 _The daughter of Maleficent and everyone's favorite Snowball hugging. Never thought that'd ever happen, huh?_ Mal said. _I may be new to the whole friendship thing, but I do know one thing. Everyone needs a hug once in a while._

* * *

Later that day, Evie decided it was time for her and Mal to wear their Christmas party dresses. Mal stood in front of the mirror as Evie made sure the dress was dust-free, dirt-free, loose-thread-free... basically, she wanted to make sure Mal's dress was perfect and ready for tonight. It annoys Mal to no end, but if she was gonna be keeping up appearances as the king's girlfriend, she needed Evie.

"You sure you don't wanna talk about what's bothering you, E?" Mal asked.

"This is no time for frowns and downs, Mal," said Evie. "The party is in four hours and we have to look our best, especially you."

"I think I can handle a little bit of imperfection," said Mal. "But you, that small sign of something not good on your face isn't gonna make you look perfect tonight. Talk to me, E, please."

Evie stopped checking on Mal's dress to think about talking. Mal can see Evie's face in the mirror. That look on her face, it's the same face she had just earlier today when they were just chilling with the boys for no reason.

"It's about Carlos, isn't it?" Mal guessed, once again pretending not to know.

"You know that thing about him being in love with me?" Evie remembered. "Turns out you were right. He does."

"How are you sure?" Mal asked, keeping up the act.

"He told me last night," Evie answered. "He told me that... tha-that... that he loves me."

"Whoa," Mal reacted. "I mean, I knew he was into you, but I didn't know it was that deep."

"That look on his face, the way he described the pain of hiding this kind of secret from me... I didn't know how to react," said Evie. "I didn't say anything. He left way before I could say a word."

"What were you gonna say?" Mal asked curiously.

"That's just it. I don't know," Evie said.

Evie started sniffling, which meant she was about to cry. She turned around and wiped her eyes, which were starting to water again. She could not stop thinking about last night, but to talk about it hurts even more. Mal is once again starting to feel that guilt about pushing the situation to where it shouldn't have gone to. All Mal can do is give her best friend a hug.

"It's okay. It's okay," she said calmly.

"I mean, how am I supposed to react finding out that the person I've treated like a brother has had these feelings for me this whole time?" Evie said with a mix of several emotions.

"And who's to say you only see him as a brother?" Mal replied.

"What are you saying, Mal?" asked Evie.

"After that little ladder accident, when he held you in his arms, I saw the way you looked at him. It's the same way he looked at you," said Mal. "Look, I'm not implying you love him back. It's just... suspicious."

"Even if you're right, how can that be possible?" Evie asked, thinking it's absurd.

"You tell me," Mal replied. "Listen to your heart. What does it tell you?"

Evie turns away from Mal to think. She did as her friend said. Evie listened to her heart, or at least tried to. Mal left her alone to think. She stayed in the room, of course, but she made sure to keep her distance from the blue-haired narcissist.

* * *

The night is finally here. Ben's Christmas party. The 25-foot tall Christmas tree has been turned on and its lights brighten up the entire ballroom with Christmas colors. That's not to say the other decorations were not eye-catching as well, but the tree, of course, has to stand out the most out of all decorations. All the students and their parents cheered and clapped as the countdown to midnight begins. Once the clock hits midnight, it's Christmas Day. Until then, the goal of the night is to simply have fun. Either dance to the Christmas music, enjoy the buffet, or whatever it is that lifts the Christmas spirit.

Lonnie leaves the DJ station temporarily to meet up with her closest friend, all whom were gathered next to the Christmas tree.

"Ain't this party just the best?!" Lonnie started.

"The night is young, Lonnie," said Mal.

"True, but you can just feel the excitement in the atmosphere," said Ally. "Is it bad to say I'd rather be here than in Wonderland's Christmas party?"

"I must say, I'm impressed," said Ben. "Decorations are a little over the top, but everyone seems to love it. Some of the students are even taking selfies with the decorations in the background. I just wish I was a part of this."

"Is your father usually busy on Christmas when he was king?" asked Chad.

"Actually, no," Ben answered. "He always found a way to finish all of his duties in time for the holidays, where his number of duties are small in numbers. He wouldn't tell me his secret, so I had to suffer through an enormous pile of paperwork for the entire holiday."

"Well, we're glad you could finish all those papers by tonight, Bennyboo," Mal said as she nudged her boyfriend.

"Copyright infringement alert," Audrey commented.

"Hey, I call him whatever I want, even if it's not original," Mal argued.

"Okay, let's not fight," said Lonnie. "It's Christmas. Let's just have fun."

"Hey, where's Carlos?" asked Jordan. "I'm not seeing any signs of red, black, and white in this party."

"He's been really down lately," said Jay. "My guess, he wants to be fashionably late on purpose just to work himself up to the Christmas craze."

"I sure hope he's okay," said Jane. "I'd hate to see be the scrooge of the holidays. It's his first Christmas after all. Well, the first for the four of you."

"What about Evie? Where did she go?" Doug wondered. "She just disappeared after we turned on the Christmas tree."

"Oh, she said she forgot something in our dorm," said Mal. "She'll be back."

"Well, while we wait for those, let's get on the dance floor," said Lonnie.

Mal, Jay, Ben, Audrey, Chad, Jane, Doug, Jordan, and Ally followed Lonnie to the dance floor and danced to the music. Mal and Ben danced together. Audrey and Chad never left each other's side. Jay switched from one girl to another as he showed off some moves. Jane, Doug, Jordan, and Ally decided to join Jay.

 **~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ JOLLY TO THE CORE ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~**

Where are Evie and Carlos? Well, what Jay said about Carlos was true. Despite feeling (a bit) better, he's still feeling a little down. He slowly dressed up in his dorm as he tried to pump himself up for the party. But he just couldn't find it in himself to get all crazy about the Christmas party. Without any word from Evie about last night, he continues to fear that his confession killed their friendship. Still, that doesn't mean he wasn't gonna go to the party. He just won't be as lively as he should be. He can only rely on his friends to help him with that.

Looking at himself in the mirror, wearing a red, black, and white Christmas-themed jacket that Evie designed for him, he tried to motivate himself.

"It's Christmas. Don't be a scrooge. Just try and roll with it," he said to himself.

After a deep breath, he was ready to step out the door and head for the castle. Mal was kind enough to lend him her scooter after Jay told her that Carlos was gonna be deliberately late.

Just as he reached for the doorknob, someone else opened the door from the other end.

It was Evie.

"Oh," they both said at the same time, surprised.

"Hi," they both said in unison.

"Um," they both said simultaneously.

The two do some fake coughs to escape the embarrassing greeting.

"What are you doing here?" Carlos asked.

"I told Mal that I forgot something in my dorm," said Evie.

"But you're here at _my_ dorm," Carlos pointed out.

Evie smiled and said, "Exactly."

Carlos was now confused. She wanted to be here, but why? Then his mind jumped to the first logical guess, which involved the reason why they haven't spoke since... that moment.

"Is this about last night?" Carlos asked.

"Yes," Evie answered right away.

"Look, Evie, I am so so so sorry about that," Carlos apologized. "I should've kept it in, but..."

"You were right to tell me," Evie interrupted.

"W-Why?" asked Carlos. "I mean, you don't feel the same way I feel about you. Our friendship, it can't be the same ever again."

"Carlos, whatever gave you that idea?" asked Evie. "Tell me, and please be honest."

"I, well..." Carlos paused, trying to find the right words to say. Then he decided to let his heart tell him what to say. "I was the boy in love, Evie, and I don't exactly have high self-esteem. I always assumed the world works against me. A non-loving mother. Being treated horribly by other VKs. Failing the Isle of the Doomed mission. Plus, I'm not exactly the handsomest or coolest guy out there. I'm just me. And you, Evie, you're pretty much a queen among princesses. How could I ever think that someone like me could ever attract the attention of a girl like you?"

Evie's smile dropped a little. _Poor Carlos_ , she thought.

"I knew you just wanted to be friends. And of course you would never even think about us being a, well, a thing," Carlos continued. "Why are you asking me this?"

"Because what if I told you that what you thought was all wrong?" Evie replied.

"Huh?" Carlos reacted, clueless.

"Carlos, I spent 10 years locked up in a castle with no one but my mother to keep me company," said Evie. "When I finally got to go to school after all that time, I didn't have a high opinion of myself either. Was I the fairest on the Isle? Of course. But deep down, I knew it was gonna take more than that to win over people. I was sorta shy and I wanted to be, more or less, careful with how I approach people. Then I met you and I thought, _Hey, he's cute_."

Carlos blushed, and Evie noticed. She tried to resist smiling wider.

"True, I only wanted to be a friend," said Evie. "But the short time we spent together on the island, I felt something I've ignored until recently. Something different. Something more than what I expected. Something beautiful."

"Wha-What are you saying?" Carlos asked, scared and confused.

Throughout this whole conversation, Evie has been putting her right hand behind her back. What Carlos didn't know is that she was holding something in the hand hidden behind her back. But what is it?

"Can I ask you something?" Evie asked. "Do you really love me?"

"Would you take my word for it?" Carlos replied, unsure if he should answer.

"Changing the question... would you do anything for me?" Evie asked.

"Of course," Carlos answered softly and sincerely.

"Then close your eyes," said Evie.

"Why?" asked Carlos.

"Just do it," said Evie. "Trust me."

Carlos does as she says and closes his eyes. For the first few seconds, nothing happened. But a few seconds later, he felt something press against his lips. Startled, he opened his eyes. Evie had just leaned in and pressed her own lips against his. She's kissing him. Carlos would've pulled back in shock, but instead he closed his eyes and deepened the kiss. As the kiss intensifies, their hands slowly reach for each other. They palms touch as their fingers curl around each other's. The kiss lasted a lot longer to the point where they basically could've gone at it all night.

That didn't happen, but the kiss lasted for a pretty long time. Way longer than a first kiss should've lasted.

When the kiss finally ended, the two opened their eyes and gazed at one another. Carlos looks up the doorway and sees something familiar. Something small and green.

A mistletoe.

That is what Evie was hiding behind her back. She asked him to close his eyes because she didn't want him to know what's what until she was ready. She hung that mistletoe above them before kissing him on the lips. She wanted it to be a surprise.

All she can say to him is...

"Merry Christmas, Carlos."

After that, Carlos impulsively hugs Evie. Overcome with so many emotions, mainly love, all Carlos wanted was to hold her close. And Evie wanted the same thing as she embraced him in return.

Once again, unbeknownst to the two, a certain purple-haired sorceress is watching them. Once again, she uses an invisibility spell to render herself unseen by the naked eye. Same goes with her phone, which she just used to record what happened. If only the two can see the look on her face right now.

 _Well, I guess maybe I can cancel my plans about throwing my story into the furnace,_ Mal thought with a smile. _Way to go, Evie. I guess she really did listen to her heart at all. By being honest with herself, she could finally be honest to Carlos. But that mistletoe stunt, I almost didn't see that coming. This'll make a great holiday video, that's for sure. Unfortunately, it'll only be for me. Too bad. I'd love to see Jay's reaction. But for now, it's best we put this drama to bed until the holidays are over. Speaking of the holidays, I got a party to get back to._

* * *

Mal, Evie, and Carlos returned to the castle so they can join the others for the midnight countdown. After hours of dancing, eating, and gifts, it was time for all eyes to be on the giant clock (which was made just for this occasion). Everyone stands next to their families or closest friends as the second hand ticks closer and closer to 12. It's 11:59, which means it's less than a minute until it's finally Christmas Day. Lumiere and Cogsworth were just outside, ready for the surprise that awaits at midnight.

"Everyone, count down with us!" Ben ordered.

"Five..."

"Four..."

"Three..."

"Two..."

"One..."

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!"

Lumiere and Cogsworth reveal the surprise. Fireworks. Multiple colors flashed in the sky spelling the words "MERRY CHRISTMAS, AURADON!" Yup, they even added an exclamation point. Lumiere's idea. Everyone cheered as they celebrated the arrival of the 25th of December, a.k.a. Christmas Day. Hugs and kisses were shared by friends, families, and couples as the fireworks continued. The fireworks formed different kinds of shapes that made everyone immediately think of the holiday. Whether it's a gift box with a bow on it, a reindeer, or Santa Claus, the fireworks are just adding to the enjoyment of this very specific day.

As for Evie, she holds Doug's hand as they watch the fireworks in the sky. What Doug didn't notice is Evie turning her head to look at a certain someone.

Carlos.

Carlos catches her looking at him and smiles. She smiled back. In spite of what just happened earlier, they decided to keep it a secret and act like it didn't happen. Well, just for tonight.

 _And so that ends my story for Christmas,_ Mal thought. _Oh, wait, let me guess. You think this isn't the end, don't you? Were you expecting Evie and Carlos to end up together at the end of this? Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but this isn't your typical fairy tale. Now, yes, Evie and Carlos have now both confessed their true feelings for each other. Yes, they did just share the most wonderful kiss in history... personal opinion. But in case we all forgot, Evie has a boyfriend. Now, yes, Evie should be with Carlos because she loves him and she only likes Doug. But think about it. Evie basically just cheated on Doug and she's totally a-okay with it. Ain't that messed up? Even if Evie and Carlos... or Carvie... I don't know, ship names are a strange trend... even if Evie and Carlos will end up happily ever after together, I'm afraid it's not today. But I can take comfort in the fact that they were finally honest with each other. As much as I would love them to see them sipping milkshakes together or talking about names for babies, what matters the most for now is that they were able to do what I always wanted them to be with each other. Be honest._

While everyone else was celebrating Christmas, Evie and Carlos just stared at one another with so much love in their eyes. And Mal, as always, is the only one who notices.

 **THE END**

 **I wish I could explain myself, but Mal pretty much pretty already did. The bittersweet ending was completely intentional. As much as I love Carvie, this is one of the two times (I used to write on Wattpad) I decided to end a Carvie story on a bittersweet note. Emotion is the driving point of this story, not the "will they, won't they" trope. It hurts, but after three years, I just wanted to shake it up a bit. Yes, it's sad and it hurts this story had to end with Evie and Carlos not together, but for me, I'm content with this. Sometimes, ship teasing is enough for me.**

 **I still hope this was a good story for you. Don't be afraid to let me know what you think. And one last thing...**

 **MERRY CHRISTMAS!**


End file.
